


Tegaanal

by ShaeTiann



Series: Between Worlds [4]
Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Gen, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:47:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26768992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShaeTiann/pseuds/ShaeTiann
Summary: In the wake of Korda 6, ruus'alor Bevyc Kote is tasked with clearing Kyr'tsad's holdings of resistance. In Tor Vizsla's family stronghold, her crew discovers a very unexpected prisoner....
Series: Between Worlds [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1831423
Comments: 15
Kudos: 190





	Tegaanal

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter involving a new OC as a main character. Expect her to be around a lot!  
> TW for non-specific mentions of abuse

Cleanup work was grim and for the most part unsatisfying. Going door by door through Kyr'tsad strongholds and villages, cutting down the resistant, taking in the desperate. Ruus'alor1 Bevyc Kote had been at it for three weeks, since that near-clusterfuck on Korda 6, and the only bright spot was that there were more Mando'adë who wished to rejoin the Mand'alor than there were who wanted to perpetuate Vizsla's conquest.

This particular redoubt, halfway around Manda'yaim from Keldabe, was rumoured to be Vizsla's stronghold; they had cleared the smaller holdings before tackling this one, because even though it gave the Kyr'tsad time to prepare, it meant the Haat'adë2 forces wouldn't have anyone crawling up their shebs3. 

When they blew the gate off its hinges, a storm of blaster-fire poured out of a hall where the lights had been deliberately turned off. It was intended to put the Haat'adë at a disadvantage -- if they set their HUDs for the darkness, to see where they needed to shoot, the daylight would blind them.

Instead of running in, she ordered everyone to fall back, out of the line of fire, and launched a grenade volley through the smoking entrance instead. It was a risk -- it always was -- but even Kyr'tsad wouldn't put their noncombatants in the vanguard. Whether their combatants really wanted to be there, however….

Well. They'd had three weeks' notice to desert.

Her group went in with their buy'ce4 headlamps set to full brightness, turning the HUD limits to their advantage, and within a couple hours her scouts commed in that the last of the resistance had either put up or been put down. Wounded survivors were offered the same deal the Mand'alor had commanded for everyone else: commit to the Haat'adë and receive treatment, or swear to Vizsla and join the ka'ra5. 

Only Bevyc and her second, Shiur, had been in on the Mand'alor's comm call; they were the only ones who knew how much he had  _ despised _ the necessity of the ultimatum. But the fighting  _ had _ to stop. Dissent in the ranks would only spread chaos. Active worship of the Old Gods was only practised now by a few reclusive traditionalist clans, but tempting Hod Ha'ran6 was still not a thing one did lightly.

Shiur's clicking rasp on the comm caught her attention.  _ "Alor. We've gained access to the residence, everyone surrendered but there's a Vizsla demanding to talk to you." _

She turned from her study of a shrapnel-scarred tapestry depicting the Dral'han7, her  _ ahwey _ aching from hours contained under her buy'ce. They'd be done here soon enough. "On my way. See if you can get access to the prison level without having to blow the door; we don't want to trigger any containment protocols." There had been a horrifying number of faded life signs they could detect through the walls, and getting all those people treatment was a priority.

Aliit8 Vizsla's living quarters in the heart of the fortress were lavishly appointed but everything clashed, as if the furnishings had been looted from elsewhere and been chosen only for the appearance of luxury. Most of the non-combatants gathered there were adiikë9 and elder caregivers who were likely their ba'buirë10. The Vizsla in question was a little blond human boy who couldn't have been more than seven Standard, old enough to carry a blaster but not old enough to be on the field. He glared at her.

"Ner gai Pre, aliit Vizsla11. My father is dead, and that means I'm in charge now."

Sighing, Bevyc reached up and unsealed her faceplate, revealing the vivid pink skin and forehead horns she'd inherited from her Devaronian mother and the large golden eyes courtesy of her Nautolan father. The kid's reaction was about what she expected, given Tor's very human-centric notions: Pre drew back looking alarmed, and the others from Aliit Vizsla murmured in surprise. "Adiik, I'm gonna give you some advice. If you try for that right now, you'll end up dead. My warriors and I will not play nice the way your trainers do. We're soldiers, and we have orders to kill anyone who chooses to follow your buir's12 warmongering. So do yourself a favour: surrender. Live. Train. And when you're old enough, if you still want to press the issue, try again. But make  _ damn certain _ that you have a real chance before risking your life and your aliit."

The boy had paled as she spoke; then his chin rose. "You think I can't fight you?"

"You can try. You'll fail. And I dislike the idea of killing someone who hasn't even started training for their warrior's trials," she said bluntly. "If you surrender, you get to keep your aliit, and when you're old enough, your people might claim you as their Alor. Your clan is nearly as old as mine, don't throw that away for nothing."

"Pre," one of the elders hissed. "Listen to her."

He flushed. "But--"

"Her words are wise, and her intent is clear." The silver-haired woman stepped forward and rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "They don't have to offer us mercy. I'm assuming these are Mereel's orders?" she asked Bevyc, and received a nod in return. "The Mand'alor fought Tor on the battlefield and won. By rights he could declare our name forfeit. We are being offered something your own buir would not offer Mereel's aliit if our positions were reversed."

Pre sneered, an ugly expression to see on a child so young. "Fine. Because Mereel is weak, we'll accept his terms. And when I'm old enough, we'll see who wins a Challenge."

It was a struggle not to roll her eyes; Bevyc re-sealed her faceplate instead. "You do that, ad13. This is my second, Shiur," she introduced, pointing to the small tank in beskar'gam who'd been looming behind her left shoulder. "You'll follow their instructions while we wrap up here." She'd have to comm Jaster and ask what he wanted done with Aliit Vizsla's survivors; the fortress was rather the worse for the fighting down the halls and through rooms and probably not liveable, but it was salvageable.

Jaster's decision, ultimately, was a temporary move for the survivors to the vhett14 of a clan who were willing to take care of them while the fortress was under repairs; he intended to repurpose the building and expand the site into a sister-city to Keldabe. What he didn't have to say was that the remainder of Aliit Vizsla would be under tight watch for at least the next generation, and the fortress lands would never solely be theirs again.

The report from the detention level had come in while Bevyc was on the comm with the Mand'alor; she waited until he signed off before checking it. Thirty-three prisoners, some in much worse condition than others. The one the baar'ur15 was most concerned about was a teenage girl who'd been repeatedly tortured; the name the girl had given made Bevyc pause. "You're sure she said 'Fett'?"

_ "Yeah, Arla Fett. She says all her family is dead; we haven't told her anything yet. Too much shock all at once won't help her heal." _

Bevyc scowled. "What were they doing to her?"

_ "She wouldn't bend a knee to Vizsla, so they were trying to convince her that she's alone and that it's the Mand'alor's fault. Their records say they've had her here for six years. Strong-willed kid to hold out that long. She's fit enough to travel but I still want to sedate her and dump her in a tank for the trip." _

"Approved, but get Rill to make an assessment first." The mirshë'ur16 would have an idea of how best to handle that particular situation; Bevyc didn't envy him the challenge. "I'll comm the Mand'alor and let him know he has a second foundling."

_ "He'll be thrilled. Or terrified." _

* * *

Jaster was on his way out of the comms room when his personal comm chimed. He sent a signal to alert the bridge to not go to hyperspace just yet and accepted the call 

"Bev. What happened?"

Over the crackle of the personal line, she sounded tense.  _ "I'll keep it short. We found your ad's sister in Vizsla's detention cells." _

The words took a moment to register. "Arla?"

_ "That's what she says her name is. We need to handle this carefully, she thinks her vod17's dead and they were trying to do a mind job on her." _

Jaster cursed, drawing curious looks from the verdë18 minding the comms system. "Thanks for telling me. She's willing to go with you?"

_ "Apparently. I haven't talked to her yet but nobody said she's fighting." _

He sighed. "That's some good news anyway. I'm not going to tell Jango until the baar'urë say he can see her; spread the word that he needs to hear it from me first, got it?"

_ "Elek, Alor. Haat, ijaa, haa'it.19" _

He signed off and tapped his hand against his thigh, thinking. Ordinarily, a situation like Arla's might take months or even years to fix. But now they had someone around who knew all about minds. Ashla might be able to help Jaster's new ad find herself again.

**Author's Note:**

> Nautolan biology courtesy of [shadowmaat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowmaat/pseuds/shadowmaat)  
> \-----------------------------------------  
>  **Translations:**  
>  Tegaanal - a rescue  
> 1\. Sergeant (back)  
> 2\. True Mandalorians (back)  
> 3\. backside (back)  
> 4\. helmet, specifically Mandalorian-styled helmet (back)  
> 5\. literally "stars" but in this case refers to the spirits of Mandalorian dead (back)  
> 6\. a trickster deity and agent of chaos (back)  
> 7\. "Greatest Grief", the Mandalorian Excision, when Republic forces glassed a significant portion of Mandalore without cause (back)  
> 8\. clan (back)  
> 9\. children between the ages of 3 and 13 (back)  
> 10\. grandparents (back)  
> 11\. "My name is Pre, Clan Vizsla." (back)  
> 12\. parent (back)  
> 13\. kid (back)  
> 14\. farmstead (back)  
> 15\. medic (back)  
> 16\. psych (back)  
> 17\. sibling (back)  
> 18\. warriors (back)  
> 19\. "Yes, sir. Truth, honour, vision." (a traditional Mandalorian vow) (back)  
> 


End file.
